Page 12 of Cassidy

Gabe hesitated, then caught the tiny nod Cassidy gave, indicating he should fill them in on the details. “Yes, both my laptop and desktop computers were stolen. My big screen TV was also busted into dozens of pieces, along with my gaming system. A state-of-the-art gaming system,” he added somewhat bitterly. “And the place was ransacked.”

“The TV and gaming system were busted up?” The younger cop frowned. “Doesn’t sound like the motive is money. The burglars could have made a decent amount selling them for cash.”

“I agree; this isn’t about easy cash,” Cassidy said. “Since Gabe works as our computer expert, I’m worried his computers were taken to gain access to our police database. Maybe even to see what Gabe was recently working on.”

The older cop whistled. “That would not be good.”

“No, it isn’t,” Cass agreed. “You can see why it’s important we all work together on this moving forward. Cooperating with a joint investigation is imperative if we’re going to find and arrest these guys.”

“More than one?” the younger cop asked.

“I don’t know.” Gabe hated not having answers. It gave him the impression that he was usually in a position of having knowledge at his fingertips.

The more he thought about his stolen computers, the more concerned he grew about the assailant’s intent. Access to the police database was one thing, but taking shots at him escalated the danger to a whole new level.

He lightly touched the goose egg on the back of his head. Somehow, the key to this was hidden deep in his mind.

If only he could find a way to retrieve it.

Cassidy noticed Gabefingering the back of his head. “Do you need ice?”

“No. It’s fine.” He dropped his hand as if he’d been caught stealing. “I like your idea of heading to the precinct. Maybe seeing my stuff would help me remember.”

“Remember what?” Officer Yanny was younger than Officer Brown and, in Cassidy’s opinion, the more unreasonable of the two. His comment about Rhy being a glory hound couldn’t be further from the truth.

Rhy was the best boss she’d ever worked for. The kind of guy who cared about those under his command. He made sure they toed the line, but he was also the first one rushing into danger alongside them as needed.

“I don’t remember who attacked me.” Gabe waved his hand. “It’s not important. I’m sure my memory will return soon.”

Cassidy wished she believed that. But it seemed to her that the longer Gabe couldn’t remember, the less likely it was that he would recall the attack at all.

She didn’t know of anything specific that Gabe had been working on for the team, and Rhy hadn’t mentioned that possibility either. Was it possible someone else in the precinct had asked Gabe to dig into something suspicious? If so, she hoped they’d get a clue when they reached the precinct. Gabe would be able to log into his computer there to hopefully find what they needed.

“We need your contact information,” Officer Brown said. “In case we have more questions.”

“I don’t have my phone or my wallet,” Gabe said.

“I’ll give you my number. You can reach Gabe through me.” She patted her pockets, realizing she didn’t have her phone. Then she remembered giving it to Gabe when he was ducking for cover. Spying it lying on the floor under the table, she bent to retrieve it. “Or you can reach us at the Seventh Precinct in Milwaukee.” She waited until Brown had pulled out his phone to provide her phone number. He dutifully plugged it into his list of contacts.

“Do you have anything we can use to board up the window?” Gabe asked. “I don’t want to leave it like this.”

She was about to say no, then remembered there were a few sheets of plywood down in the basement. She had a secret jigsaw puzzle habit and used the plywood as a table across her hassock so she could do the puzzle while watching TV. It was something she’d done to help combat the memories from last month when she’d been forced to kill a perp.

“Yes, I’ll grab it.” She resisted the urge to glance at her watch. Taking a few extra minutes to secure her condo was worth it.

“I’ll help you.” Gabe followed her down the stairs. The condo was only four years old, so the area was fairly clean.

And empty, except for the normal basement stuff like her washer, dryer, hot water heater, furnace, and, of course, the two sheets of plywood.

Gabe grabbed one end, leaving her to take the other. Together they carried the planks up the stairs and to the main living space. “I have a small tool kit,” she said, turning away.

To her surprise, Gabe took the hammer and nails to do the repair. She hadn’t pictured him as being the handy sort, but then again, she was most familiar with his computer skills. The plywood covering the windows wouldn’t keep anyone super determined from getting inside, but that was the least of her worries.

How had the gunman found them there? She made sure they weren’t followed, and the shooter hadn’t shown up until several hours later. Although she had to admit, they’d struck just before dawn, so maybe they had been outside the entire time, waiting for the perfect shot.

If Gabe hadn’t gotten dizzy, he might have been killed right in front of her eyes. The image was so horrifying she had to take a deep breath and look away.

She cared about Gabe; he was a valued colleague and genuinely nice guy. They were friends, so this odd awareness of him had to be a result of the situation. Nothing more. She’d be upset if any of their teammates had been targeted.

---